Jaylie's Future
by Pokemonfanthings
Summary: A short story about one of Jay Morgan's many existential crises and a prediction of Jay and Amber's future together.
1. The Dilemma

**Welcome!**

 **Author Notes:**

All canon characters and places mentioned belong to The Pokémon Company. All the OCs in here belong to chipotlepeppers. Visit chipotlepeppers' profile for more stories like this one and for background info on these OCs. I also might write more fanfictions in the future, but now (December 31, 2017) I only have four other stories posted, this one, **All I Want for Christmas is You ,** **Cruise Blues** , **Playground Crisis** , and **Z-Charged**. You do not need to read all these stories to understand context, though if you want more context, I suggest checking at **All I Want for Christmas is You** out since that fic is the most explanatory.

I am a new fic writer and nonprofessional so please be kind.

This symbol "~" I use the same way writer WindStar27 uses it—to draw out a voice. So instead of writing 'Pikachuuu', I'll put 'Pikachu~'.

If something doesn't make sense or you have questions, leave questions in reviews and I will answer them via guest review asap. Or you can PM me if you have an account.

This fic will be dived into four chapters that are between 3,000-4,000 words each. This story will be about 14,000 words TOTAL.

I would like to get some feedback, so even if you don't like it, leave a review if you have the spare seconds. Remember to word them kindly, especially if you are responding to someone else's review.

 ***IMPORTANT: Italicized text presents the present and regularly formatted text presents the retelling***

Thank you for clicking!

 **XO**

* * *

Jaylie's Future

 **Story Description:** A short story about one of Jay Morgan's many existential crises and a prediction of Jay and Amber's future together.

Glossary of Places and Peeps:

1. Jay Morgan\- Jessie and James' second youngest child. He is nine years old in this story.

2\. Amber Ketchum\- the daughter of Misty and Ash Ketchum. She and Jay are just a few months apart in age.

3\. Annastasia Morgan \- Jay's older sister and Jessie and James' first child. Her nickname is 'A'. She is seven years older than Amber and Jay.

4\. Jezz – a distant cousin to the Morgan family and best friend of Amber and Jay. Jezz is only mentioned by Amber in the present day and does not have a role in the main storyline.

5\. Rumika- NOT Rumika from the Japanese version of the anime, rather she is Jessiebelle's non-canon younger sister. She is close with Jessie, James and her family—but not with Jessiebelle.

6. Lucy- OC Purrloin & Meowth of Team Rocket's partner. She also works for Team Rocket as Rumika's partner in spy-hood.

7\. Logan\- Meowth and Lucy's son, once a Purrloin but now a Liepard.

8\. Lily- Meowth and Lucy's Meowth daughter.

9\. Rita Scott- the daughter of N and White from the Black and White series, she is Annastasia's Team Rocket partner.

10\. The Pallet House\- hotel/restaurant once owned by Delia Ketchum but is now owned by Jessie, James, and Meowth of Team Rocket.

I may add to this as more characters pop in for later chapters. Everyone else (including the narrator) you should be able to figure out in context. I can answer questions asked via review or PM if you have any.

 **XO**

 _I am here at the Cerulean City Gym. It's after hours and quiet, and I am taking advantage in order to write and give my team of_ _Poké-_ _birds a workout. Mom even got me a little desk so that I can sit poolside while I get shit done._ _I've been coming here more often lately—I am considering settling down here if that place Jay and I looked at in Johto doesn't work out._

 _"Row~!" Fearrow shrieked as he splashed my Pikachu. The result was more Pokémon shrieks and several unsolicited Thunderbolts._

 _"Can you all keep the noise level down?" I asked my Pokémon. "I am doing a favor for our purple-head."_

 _"Row row~" Fearrow responded as the others simply nodded._

 _I am finishing this little project that Jay started. He lets himself get so worked up and I need a break from my own life to experience his, ours, the one we shared—and still share, occasionally. I guess this is the best kinda pre-birthday gift a middle-class citizen like me can get a millionaire._

 _So I should make it good…or at least accurate…_

 **XO**

When Jay was seven years old, he loved having his older sister Annastasia—aka 'A'—dress him up to the point where he looked more like a girl than she did. A, his parents, Rumika, Meowth, and Lucy let Jay get away with everything from dressing like a girl at a beauty pageant to painting the walls of his own bedroom to look like the Disney Princess store at the mall.

For most of his childhood, the ends of Jay's hair were closer to his shoulders than his ears—occasionally, longer than mine. It's a bright purple, and even now he occasionally uses flowers, most often daisies and dandelions, as hair accessories. He also has this charm bracelet that his Uncle Brock gave him when we were three, and sometimes he wore one of his or my mom's necklaces with it. It's always on his wrist.

Therefore, it isn't surprising that almost everyone in his school thought he was a girl.

I know for sure that he didn't mind if people called him a girl until the mean kids started mocking him, stealing his stuff, tripping him, hitting him—that changed everything. I suppose it was around the end of our elementary years that he started to act less pink, and it was because of them. But all that was after Jay conducted his odd social experiment.

Jay phoned me every day with no exceptions. We'd talk for a long time. Jay says that he likes me because I am tough on the outside and soft on the inside. He somehow believes that I am braver, stronger, and less naïve than he is—not true, but that is Jay's belief. He believes that because I am far more aggressive than he is. I've beaten up the kids who've beaten him up—like really beat, bloody noses and scratched elbows and even a black eye. Jay told me once that he got through each day because he knew he could call me later and I'd make him feel good again.

Jay has had many existential crises, but honestly, this one was the strangest.

He began the journey to solve this crisis by asking his question to a professional girl, the person he is closest to—his sister A.

The blond looked down at him, puzzled, as Jay stood stiff as a tree in the forest, waiting for her response as if his future depended on her alone.

"Umm, I don't know…maybe," she told him. "You can do whatever you want. I am late for work, and Giovanni really depends on me—and so does Rita. I'll call you in an hour, I promise, I'll make time."

Jay didn't realize that A was already running late to work, and that Team Rocket needed her more than he did. So, Jay called me—which he should have done first—and I went to play with him in his yard. I jumped on my bike and drove it right through that creepy Viridian Forest with zero hesitation. He sounded shaken up, and we had been there before.

The scene of his front yard was relaxed but not without an audience. James was sitting under a tree, practicing his guitar skills. Lily and Logan were having a contest to see who could climb to the top of a tree the fastest, and everyone's Pokémon were lounging nearby. Jay didn't say much when I showed up. I took the chalk out of his shed and we began drawing on the driveway—but he wasn't into it. He didn't want to look me in the eyes.

"Jay, you have like, like no energy," I commented. "What happened at school? Who do I have to hit?"

"No one. Unless you want to hit everyone, but I don't think you should try to do that," Jay dismally responded.

"Humphhh…Jay, let's go to the roof. I noticed you acting different lately, and I think we should talk about it," I decided.

"I like that idea," he robotically mumbled.

"James! Jay and I are going into the hotel!" I shouted.

"Okay!" he replied.

Our intention wasn't to talk in the hotel, but rather on the roof. The roof of the Pallet House is our special talking spot, even today, over a decade later. Jay told me that the whole walk there, he felt his head pounding, heart swelling, eyes watering, making him feel weak and pathetic. He feared that this would be the last straw, that after he told me this, I would dump him as a best friend. Jay said he knew I'd keep my promise and still be his 'friend', but he figured that he would be demoted from 'number one best friend' to a 'regular friend' or worse: a 'friendly acquaintance'.

And that would be his worst fear.

 **XO**

 _I looked at the words I had placed on the paper. 'Not so bad', I told myself. 'If anything, I've thus far written my number-one best friend as the emotional mush that he is. He'll like it.'_

 _"I oughta give myself a pat on the back," I said aloud. "Look at me, so skilled at writing…"_

 _"Pikachu~" said Pip._

 _He was shaking his head at my screen. I grimaced._

 _"What?" I asked him._

 _"Pika pi…pi," he replied._

 _"Okay, so it's average…" I tried._

 _"Pi~," said Pip, shaking his head once more._

 _"Okay, so it's below average…too confusing. It will make more sense later on."_

 _"Pika~" he said, making his 'probably not' face._

 _"We'll see how far this goes. Be my cheerleader."_

 _"Pi~!" he exclaimed, holding a makeshift pom-pom in his paw._

 _"Where did you find…whatev…thanks for the feedback…"_

 _I am trying to focus but the reality is that focusing is so difficult nowadays. So much has happened to me and Jay just in the last few years. It's been a whirlwind…something that is rough for a buncha twenty-somethings to handle on their own. It seems that one of the only consistent thing in my life has been Jay…the fact that he's always been around and always will be._

 _Pip narrowed his eyes at me as if he were offended by my thoughts._

 _"Okay, so you've been consistently around too," I told my Pikachu. "I bet you were a sarcastic little shit even before you hatched out of your egg."_

 _"Pi," he said, totally agreeing with me._

 _Yeah…Jay's consistent alright…_

 **XO**

When we arrived on the roof of the Pallet House hotel/restaurant, I sat down in one of his mom's lounge chairs—Jessie likes to sunbathe on the roof of that hotel—while Jay stood there unmoving. I tapped my toes and waited several minutes for him to talk. It felt like an hour to both of us. I couldn't stand it.

"What did those kids do to you? Are you going to switch schools again? You aren't being sent to boarding school, are you?" I questioned.

"No, it's not like that. I don't think that I am…I don't want to…" he stumbled.

"Whatever you did, just talk before I explode."

"Amb, I…"

I led him over to the chair I was sitting on and made sure he was close enough so that if he burst into tears, I'd be right there for him.

"You are going to think that I am a freak," Jay said after a while.

"I already know that," I replied.

"I mean a real freak."

I remember rolling my eyes at him, wondering if he'd realize how melodramatic he was being.

"Go on. I want to know why you are a 'real freak' now," I said.

"Becaw mm a gir," Jay mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Because I'm a girl."

"A girl."

"Yes."

"Really, Jay? Are you sure about that? I am pretty sure you pee standing up."

"That is why I'm a freak. Amb, help me, I don't know what to do!"

He was all over me, a weepy mess. I did the usual—hugged him, patted his back, and waited for him to ease up on all the drama. Even then, I knew that no matter what happened, he'd be fine.

"This isn't a big deal. I heard that you can get it removed," I told him.

"Get what removed?" he asked blindly.

"Never mind. You are probably fine, it's not like you have a disease or something."

"People say that I do."

"I told you to stop listening to what those dumbasses tell you."

"Amb, that's a bad word!"

"Anyone who makes fun of you is a dumbass."

"But…but what if they are right? What if I actually have a disease?"

"Go to the doctor, then. All I know is that those people are stupid and you shouldn't listen to them. Listen to me instead. Aren't I always right?"

"Well, yeah, I guesso…"

"I can help you tell your parents."

"No, I think I can do it. I'll talk to them tonight."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I was afraid you'd no longer want to be my best friend...are you still my best friend?"

"Duhh."

"I am sooo relieved."

I didn't get why Jay would think I would dump him after everything else we had been through. Besides, he always acted like his sister and some of the girls in my class so as far as I was concerned, he was already a girl.

We went back to the yard. Jay had a bit more energy as we drew Pip and Togepi on the driveway and street. Later that night, Jay went into his parent's bedroom while they were getting ready to go to sleep. He told me how he wandered into their room wearing his sparkly pink pajamas and fuzzy Togepi slippers and his actual Togepi in his arms. Jay confessed that it wasn't until later on that he realized the princess nightwear wasn't helping his cause. In the end, that didn't matter.

"What's up?" his dad asked as Jay meandered over to him.

James was sitting on the side of the bed, taking off his shoes while Jessie brushed her teeth—a perfectly normal evening. Jay crawled onto his dad's lap as if he were a toddler seeking comfort after a nightmare.

"I have to tell you and mom something important," said Jay.

"Is everything alright?" James asked with a panicky look on his face.

"I don't think so," Jay said darkly, building some unnecessary suspense.

But then he cried, snot and all. He said he felt gross about it—but he needed to let it happen. I can picture it in my head.

"Jess, can you hurry up?" his dad called out. "Jay's got something _important_ to talk about."

Jay continued to get worked up. His parents wiped his face with tissues as they tried to get him to relax, just like I do sometimes.

"Did you do something bad?" James asked. "Because it's okay if you did."

"We might be proud of you too depending on what it is," said Jessie.

"I don't think I did anything bad," Jay responded.

"Why are you scared? Was it the bullies? Do you want to change schools again? We can do that. You don't ever have to go back if you don't want to," said Jessie.

"It's not really the bullies, it's that I think I need to go to see a doctor," he told them.

Jays parents' faces tensed after he said that. I know they were really upset that time Jay came home with a black eye. They even tried to sue the school…actually, two of his schools…

"What's hurting you? Did you get hit? Tell us what hurts and we'll fix it," Jessie said as she clenched her fists.

"I am not hurt like, literally hurt, like on my body," Jay clarified. "I think I have a rare disease."

"Why do you think that?" James inquired.

"I think that maybe some of the kids who keep insisting that I am a girl are right. I think that I probably am I girl, a freak girl."

"Oh, okay," they responded together, now seeming relieved.

"That doesn't mean you are sick," said Jessie. "I think…"

"Maybe you think that because you like stuff that is more popular among girls…I don't think that makes you a girl," said James.

"I think I have to do something about this…are you mad at me?"

"No!" they cried in unison.

"You didn't do anything wrong," said James.

"And we've never been mad at you before," Jessie pointed out. "Because you're Jay—or ummm 'Jaylie'…" she said, referring to the nickname toddler-Jay had once used for himself. "You've never pissed us off before and I don't think you're going to start anytime soon."

"We can take him to Dr. Liz. She knows about this stuff," Jessie whispered to James, not realizing that Jay could hear too.

"Oh yeah. That's good," James agreed.

"What will she do to me?" Jay asked worriedly.

"Nothing, just talk…" James said hesitantly.

"I want to go see her then," Jay decided. "ASAP."

 **XO**

 _"Hey!" Jay said as he grabbed my shoulder. "Whatcha doing?"_

 _"None of your Mew-damned business," I said as slammed my laptop shut._

 _I swung the rolly chair to face him. It is just me, the desk, the chair, the pool, and my Pokémon in the gym until he showed up. He climbed onto my lap and offered a piece of his donut to me._

 _"Come on, it's good," he said as he tried to swallow a large bite at the same time. "Really, have some."_

 _I pushed the pastry out of my face, took a napkin off my desk, and wiped his face until all the crumbs were gone. I noticed that for once, he wasn't wearing eyeliner, and there were bags. Hmm. He's also been working hard on something…_

 _"I am working on something for you," I told him. "I'm not hungry. Why are you here in the middle of the day with half a bag of donuts?"_

 _"It's Sunday, and I only ate one," he defensively replied. "I'm gro—"_

 _"—wing wide."_

 _"You always say that!"_

 _"You always lead me to it."_

 _"Well…I have something else to give you."_

 _Jay struggled to pull something out of his back pocket. He crushed my legs—sometimes it's like he forgets that he is a full-grown man and eight inches taller than me. Pip ran over to us, and the Pikachu pulled the rolled-up papers from his pants while Jay tried to get the mittens off his hands._

 _"Chu chu pika~," Pip said as he handed me the paper packet._

 _"It's information," Jay announced._

 _"I see that," I said as I tried to read the text._

 _"Here, take these."_

 _He pulled his reading glasses from his pocket and watched me excitedly._

 _"It's about our house," he said happily._

 _"Did you find one here in Cerulean City?!" I responded, sounding more hopeful than I wanted to._

 _"Nah…they don't really have those kinds of models in Kanto…but, like…I mean…just look!"_

 _Greenfield, Johto. We've discussed this living arrangement dozens of times—and this is not the first time he's brought up Greenfield. He wants me, him, all our Pokémon, our partners, Logan, Peruva, Lily, and Maya to be in the same huge duplex. I want that too, but finding the right place has been frustrating._

 _"I'll look at it later, I want to finish what I am doing," I decided._

 _"Please tell me what you are writing!" he begged. "I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really real—"_

 _"I am drafting that entry you wanted to give Hamilton."_

 _"Hamilton…I'm lost."_

 _"Jezz!"_

 _"Ohhhh, ha, ummmm which entry? I have like, twenty," said Jay._

 _I rolled my eyes at him and sighed. Of course, he wants to give Jezz twenty stories even though Jezz only asked for one or two to include in his book. Jay is obsessed with Jezz. Like, this whole 'let's buy a house together' is basically Jay's way of marrying Jezz without actually marrying him._

 _"Which story is it?" Jay asked._

 _"The one when you spend a month as Jay-lee," I finally answered._

 _"It wasn't 'Jay-lee' it was 'Jaylie'," he responded, then paused, dread arising on his face. "Are you…I changed my mind! I am too embarrassed to tell that story!"_

 _He tried to grab the laptop—I swiped it just in time._

 _"I'll make you look good. Come on, of all things, is this really what you choose to be embarrassed by?" I asked._

 _"Okay, just let me see it when you're done."_

 _"Of course."_

 _Jay zipped up his coat, readjusted his hat, then whistled for his Togekiss. The large bird sprung from the pool and shook himself dry before landing in front of us._

 _"I'll find someone else to give these warm, homemade, almost-irresistible donuts to," Jay said as he handed one to Togekiss._

 _"Like your boyfriend?" I asked._

 _"Great idea. Where is Jezz usually this time of day?"_

 _"I meant…never mind. I don't know where he is."_

 _"I'll call him again. Bye-bye!"_

 _I turned back to my laptop. Jaylie. That is what this is about._

 **XO**

Notes:

\+ I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. The next chapter has more action/dialogue than this one. Let me know what you think in reviews.

\+ Chapter two Next is up and the others are coming later this morning.


	2. The Test

**Welcome!**

 **Author Notes:**

All canon characters and places mentioned belong to The Pokémon Company. All the OCs in here belong to chipotlepeppers. Visit chipotlepeppers' profile for more stories like this one and for background info on these OCs. I also might write more fanfictions in the future, but now (December 31, 2017) I only have four other stories posted, this one, **All I Want for Christmas is You ,** **Cruise Blues** , **Playground Crisis** , and **Z-Charged**. You do not need to read all these stories to understand context, though if you want more context, I suggest checking out **All I Want for Christmas is You** since that fic is the most explanatory.

I am a new fic writer and nonprofessional so please be kind.

This symbol "~" I use the same way writer WindStar27 uses it—to draw out a voice. So instead of writing 'Pikachuuu', I'll put 'Pikachu~'.

If something doesn't make sense or you have questions, leave questions in reviews and I will answer them via guest review asap. Or you can PM me if you have an account.

This fic will be dived into four chapters that are between 3,000-4,000 words each. This story will be about 14,000 words TOTAL.

I would like to get some feedback, so even if you don't like it, leave a review if you have the spare seconds. Remember to word them kindly, especially if you are responding to someone else's review.

 ***IMPORTANT: Italicized text presents the present and regularly formatted text presents the retelling***

Thank you for clicking!

 **XO**

* * *

Jaylie's Future

 **Story Description:** A short story about one of Jay Morgan's many existential crises and a prediction of Jay and Amber's future together.

Glossary of Peeps:

1. Soledad Oak- the daughter of Dawn and Gary Oak. She is Jay's neighbor and the same age as him and Amber. Other than Amber and his family, Soledad is closest to Jay.

2\. June and Takeshi- the daughter of Iris and Cilan Gaule and the son of Autumn and Brock Harrison. They are about the same age as Jay and Amber. More about them will be discussed in later chapters.

3\. Jocelyn - Jay's younger sister and Jessie and James' third child. She is about three years younger than Jay and his friends.

I may add to this as more characters pop in for later chapters. Everyone else you should be able to figure out in context. I can answer questions asked via review or PM if you have any.

 **XO**

 _A splash of water nearly destroyed my keyboard. That brought me back to reality. I hadn't even heard my mom come in…I was focusing on my writing. I waved to her from across the pool. She waved back and then walked over to me._

 _"Whatcha doing?" she asked._

 _"Helping Jay with something," I answered. "Do you need my help?"_

 _"No, for once. You are no longer my number one. Now I have Cayson…and Jezz too since he's joined the family. They've been helping me get other stuff done around here, so I don't have to do much maintenance in the arena or any of the pools today."_

 _The door to the hall slammed and my seven-year-old brother sauntered out. As usual, he was glued to his DS. He came over to us._

 _"Amber is doing bookwork…I thought she flunked college!" the turd laughed._

 _"I didn't flunk, I took a break," I responded. "It's none of your business."_

 _"For some reason, I thought having you over a decade apart would lead to fewer quarrels," mom sighed._

 _"Do I have to clean today?" Cayson asked as I returned to my computer._

 _"Hmm no, you've been good. Most of the work is out of the way anyway," she responded._

 _"I can help you if Cayson's being lazy," I told her._

 _"You work so hard. You have a career, you're on several boards, you are planning a wedding, starting a family, buying a home—I am never going to make you clean this pool again. You've graduated. Focus on the thing you were typing."_

 _I nodded and then picked up my computer, showing her the screen. Cayson scowled like he normally does when mom praises me._

 _"Jay wants to include the Jaylie story in Jezz's journal…but he is too busy to write it all out," I explained. "He took notes, I am drafting it out for him. I know it means a lot to him."_

 _"That's a big task for someone who is as busy as you are," Misty responded._

 _"He's busier…and I like doing it."_

 _"Then good for you. I'll let you get back to it."_

 **XO**

Dr. Liz has been my and Jay's doctor for our entire lives. Whether we are getting bloodwork done or sick with the flu, she is always there for us.

Despite the familiarity, Jay was nervous to go see her in order to discuss his dilemma. He was afraid that Dr. Liz was going to diagnosis him with a bad or embarrassing disease.

"Jay Paul Morgan, look at you! It looks like you've grown since your last appointment two months ago," Liz began.

"Oh, perhaps I did," Jay mumbled as she shut the door to their private room.

Dr. Liz weighed and measured him, checked his heart, lungs, and skin for abnormalities then took notes on her clipboard—the usual.

"Good news, Jay, you don't have any major issues, but I can do some bloodwork to double-check, only if you want to though. You aren't due yet because your last draw was just a few weeks ago," she told him.

"Should I get it done?" Jay asked, hoping she would say 'no' since he doesn't like needles.

"I don't think so. Your parents said that you don't feel ill. They said that you have questions to ask me."

It's like she already knew it'd be awkward so she handed him a lollipop. That made the shame dissolve along with potential tears. After all, Jay doesn't like getting salty tears getting on his candy.

"I talked to Amber about this," said Jay. "And my parents, and A—they said that I am going to be okay, but I am not sure about what is going to happen to me."

"I still don't know what you are talking about," Liz pointed out.

"Oh…I was wondering…how do you tell…so, you know how Amb's a girl."

"I'm aware."

"Yeah, I know…so what if I am a girl too? It would make sense. I don't have any friends that are boys other than my Uncle Brock's son Takeshi but Brock isn't literally my uncle…and I think Takeshi's only nice to me because he's sorta like my cousin…and I spend almost all my time with either A, Amb, Soledad, Rumika, Lily, Logan, and my mom. Logan is the only boy, but he's a Pokémon so I don't know if it's the same…other boys are either mean or they ignore me…though I like some of them…like-like them."

Liz let him ramble on for a while. She sipped her coffee, not the least bit worried, having actually expected Jay to come to this point sooner or later.

"Is this normal? Do all guys like girl stuff and just lie about it? Or am I a girl?" Jay asked.

"This is normal, not all guys like 'girl stuff', and I don't know if you're a girl. Maybe you should try it out…but first let's talk more. First of all, your school doesn't sound like a very good school. Do you know if they have an anti-bullying agenda? I forgot to ask your parents."

"I don't know, but I have been to three schools already. This one is supposed to be 'inclusive'. But that doesn't seem to include me."

"I happen to know that the school you go to calls itself 'inclusive' because it accommodates children will all different types of learning differences, physical differences, allergies, and disabilities. Does this sound accurate?"

"Yes. I think everyone in my class is in special ed like me. And I am not allowed to have peanuts, almonds, wheat, fish, eggs, or dairy in my lunchbox because lots of people are allergic to those foods. Also, we have a lot of lectures about how we aren't supposed to make fun of people who learn differently compared to most people, but almost all of the kids are still mean."

"Do you have any friends?"

"Amber."

"I know, but Amber doesn't go to your school."

"Ummm A."

"She doesn't go to your school either, and she's seven years older than you, and your sister."

"Soledad."

"Soledad doesn't go to your new school."

"She said she will switch if it will make me feel better. It's far away but we can drive together…. but I would rather have Amber be with me. I wish she didn't live on the other side of the forest. I think Amber should come live with me. We have room in the hotel that we use for sleepovers all the time. She can go to my school and fight the bullies."

"Okay listen, the problem isn't you, and it isn't up to you or Amber or Soledad to solve it all. It's all the bullying. There are going to be mean people everywhere you go. We have to get you prepared to handle situations in which people act mean towards you. You mustn't blame yourself."

"But if Amb came, then I wouldn't have to learn how to fight."

Dr. Liz sighed and collected her thoughts. Jay remembers thinking about how great his solution was, and how frustrated he was that none of the adults seemed to like it.

"Amber can't come live with you, she has her own family, and she already got in trouble for fighting the kids at your school. I don't want you to learn how to fight, I want you to learn how to cope. I'll help you. We can talk to your school—again—and in the meantime, I will ask a guidance counselor at your school to meet with you every day. You can talk about whatever you want."

"Then I'd be the weird kid who goes to the shrink."

"A guidance counselor isn't a shrink, and no one has to know that you go. It isn't a bad thing, I used to go to my school guidance counselor."

"No offense, Dr. Liz, but that was a million years ago. Times have changed."

Dr. Liz laughed. "Times haven't changed that much. I am not much older than your mother."

"But when I go back tomorrow, I—I really don't want to go back. You say that I am not weird but that doesn't matter. What matters is the kids being mean to me. And I think maybe they are right about me being a girl. This stinks, a lot."

"Jay," she sighed. "There is a lot to unpack here, more than I realized. Jay, look at me."

Jay had been staring at the cartoon characters on the wall for the last ten minutes, avoiding her eyes as much as he could. He huffed and then looked at her.

"You are such a good kid, I hate seeing you get so upset and angry over this. Let's go over a few things. Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Do you only think you're a girl because people say this to you? Or do you actually feel like a girl?"

"That's an impossible question."

"Fair. How about this: would you like to see what it's like to be a girl?"

Jay's eyes lit up at the suggestion. Visions of being able to wear whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, and still be perceived of normal danced through his head. He found the concept super attractive and nodded enthusiastically.

"How will this go down? Will I have to take medicine?" Jay asked.

"No, not medicine. It's…let's bring your parents in here. It's best we talk as a group."

"My parents aren't here—A brought me."

"Then let's go get her."

Annastasia had been called back for Jay's appointments before. She was the responsible type of teenager who spent as much time raising Jay as his real parents did.

"Jay wants to test out being a girl to see if he likes it," Liz explained as soon as they were alone.

"Are you sure?" A asked Jay.

"Totally sure! I want to know what it's like! I just don't know how to do it," said Jay.

"We'll help you with that," said Liz.

"The problem is that if Jay comes out as a girl, he'll be putting himself at risk for further bullying," said A. "I don't want to risk him being hurt…"

"But A, I really want to see what it's like. Maybe no one will notice. I have only been at this school for three weeks…I think half the people there think I'm a girl already," said Jay.

"If you want to try it, don't let me get in the way. Maybe this is what you need," A responded.

Annastasia talked to their parents, then Jay's parents and Liz and some people at his school met and talked before Jay tried his experiment. That day, the moment he realized that he would have a chance to actually do it, he called me to his house in order to explain everything.

"So, your new name is 'Jay-lee?'" I asked, unsure if I had heard him correctly. "Like from when you were four?"

"Jaylie," he corrected.

"K. And you're going to go back to your girly wardrobe?"

"Yep."

"And everyone will think you're a girl."

"Hopefully. I hope things go well and that this is the answer because then I can be myself without having people make fun."

I didn't want to crush Jay's dreams by pointing out that he would get fun of even more if someone were to point out that he once lived as a boy. I didn't say much at all, just did the usual—a hug and promise to stand by him.

Jaylie's first day of class was interesting. Jay doesn't think that anyone noticed that he was the same Jay that they had made fun of beforehand—the name change, pink and blue hair dye, and colored extensions helped with that. His teacher even introduced Jaylie as a new student.

And nothing seemed to change for a while. Jaylie and I played the same way we did before. Soledad occasionally hung out with us, and even though she also knew the Jay before the Jaylie, she didn't make fun. Jaylie liked and did everything that Jay liked and did. But towards the end of that month, Jay started having his doubts.

"It's still so confusing for me," he confided to me one night on the roof. "I feel like I am an actor in a play. I feel like I am living a lie. I miss being called 'Jay'. I miss playing on the boy's side at recess and gym. I know I got made fun of before…but now…I want to go back to being a boy. I dunno why, I just do."

"That's fine with me," I responded. "The whole point in doing this was to experiment, see which one you like more. I think that you are both, like half-and-half, or a fusion. I don't know anyone else like you. You're cool."

Jay laughed goofily. 'Cool' isn't a word normal people used to describe Jay.

"Tomorrow I am going to tell my parents and Dr. Liz that I am going to go back to being Jay."

"Tell me how it goes."

The next day, Jay told me that he cried during that doctor's appointment. As soon as he and Liz were alone, he bawled. Looking back, he admits that he gives Dr. Liz a lot of credit for dealing with his waves of powerful emotion. He was sorry for wasting people's time and being 'wrong'.

"You never did anything wrong," she told him. "The whole point was to see if you felt comfortable with the change—clearly, you do not. That's okay."

"But now I don't know what I am. No, I do…I'm weird, like the seriously-messed-up weird. I am weird and no one will ever love me," he responded.

"There are already a lot of people who love you and there are plenty more to come."

"I will never get married. I am going to die alone. No one will go to my funeral."

"You are being too dramatic. You're nine. Just nine. You're still a baby, and you are already so far ahead. Relax for me."

"Okay, I'll try."

"You don't have anything to worry about. If you were a girl, you'd probably want to be called one, don't you think?"

"I guesso,"

"If you prefer being a boy, then you are a boy, that simple."

"Some of the stuff I like is girl stuff. I feel like maybe I am both."

"You could be, but you are probably just a boy who likes stuff that is labeled for girls, and that is fine. You have an open mind, Jay, that's good."

"It doesn't feel very good."

"It will one day."

"But what do I do now?"

"I want you to relax and let the adults handle this. I will tell your parents to take you out of school for a few days, we will all talk to the school together, and when we feel it is safe, you can go back. If things don't get better for you…you can look into boarding school since homeschooling isn't an option. You only need to pass five more classes before you are eligible for getting your Pokémon license. If you want to take your journey when you are ten, you are going to have to be in a place where you can comfortably do your schoolwork."

"I am mad at my parents for not letting me be homeschooled, and boarding school sounds awful. You never get to see your parents!"

Jay cried, again. Dr. Liz sat down next to him this time.

"I know you are scared, but you are going to feel better soon, I promise, regardless of where you end up."

"I don't want to be sent away. I want to be like A. She's perfect."

"She's not and you know it deep down."

"Maybe."

Togepi hit Jay with Heal Bell—which we used to call his 'happiness spell'—then he and Dr. Liz walked out of the office and into the waiting room. Both Jay's parents were on the couch, reading the same magazine he was looking at earlier that day.

"Do you feel better?" James asked as Jay joined them in the sitting area.

"I think so," Jay responded.

He held Togepi securely in his arms as he and his parents walked out the door and into the parking lot.

"Dr. Liz said I don't have to go to school ever again," Jay told his parents as they got ready to enter the car.

Jessie and James laughed. Jay got mad that they picked up on is fib and kicked the back tire of their red Lamborghini. As usual, his unaggressive little kick did nothing, further frustrating him.

"She didn't say that. But, you don't have to go tomorrow unless you want to," James responded.

"No!" Jay unexpectantly retorted.

"'No' what?" they asked together.

When he didn't respond, James got into the back seat with him, as he often did when Jay looked like he needed someone there.

"Don't you feel better?" James asked him. "What did you decide?"

"I believe that I am not a girl since I don't like being called a girl and I don't want to be a girl," he explained.

"Knew it," said James. "Jess, fifty bucks."

"You bet on me?!" Jay exclaimed.

I don't know why he was shocked. They bet on Jay and his other family members all the time—that's common knowledge.

"Your mom thought you'd come out of there wanting to be a girl, and I figured you'd come out talking about how much you hate the idea of being a girl," his dad explained.

"Oh," Jay sighed. "Wait…where's Jocelyn?"

"She's with Rumika and A. We didn't bring her because we wanted to give you our full attention," James answered.

Jessie turned onto a road that leads them further from their house.

"You made a wrong turn," Jay pointed out.

"We are kidnapping you for a little bit. We need to talk to you. You talk to ginger twerpette junior more than us sometimes. We feel left out. We won't be long," said Jessie.

"Are you mad?" he asked.

"When have we ever been mad at you before?" Jessie asked.

"It's just that most other kids get yelled at when they mess up," Jay replied.

"You've never messed up," said James.

"Oh, I guess that is true," said Jay.

Jay was silent as he looked out the window. Togepi sang, and it would have lulled him to sleep if it wasn't for the fact that he was nervous about what kind of questions his parents planned on asking.

"We are okay with whatever you are, as long you aren't a mean jerk," said Jessie. "I hate mean jerks."

"We think that because of all this stress, it's a good idea for us to take you out of school tomorrow and instead go to that orchard near Amber's house where you can pick all the Sitrus berries, Oran berries, apples, and cherries that you like," James suggested.

"With Amb there too?" he asked.

"I am sure we can bribe her parents into letting her skip too."

"Wow thanks."

"But, we can't do this every day," said Jessie.

"At some point, you are going to have to return to school. Dr. Liz probably told you about guidance counselors and the possibility of switching to a new, new, new, school," James added.

Jay repeated everything that he could remember from his conversation with Liz. They gave each other this look that according to Lily, means that they were communicating by reading each other's minds. At this age, Jay believed that this was what happened after you married someone.

"If there is something else you want to tell us about who you are, it's okay," James said when Jay started acting suspicious—swallowing his gum, squeezing Togepi and bit too hard, refusing to look his dad in the eye. "You shouldn't hide secrets. That just leads to stress and lies."

"I am not hiding anything," Jay asserted.

"Okay."

He didn't expect them to just let that go. He was obviously hiding something else, and it was for the same reason he was lying about the details of all those mean things that jerks say to him. Jay cracked and ended up telling them anyway.

"Well, sometimes…every day, actually, people make fun of me for being myself…" Jay said dumbly.

"We know. We are sorry," his parents replied.

"You never tell us what they say," Jessie, pointed out.

"They use all those bad words for people like me. Like, nouns that are mean," said Jay. "I don't want to say them."

At this point, Jessie and James were probably wondering what planet Jay came from. He's like them in some ways—energetic, determined…not too bright…yet it doesn't always make sense. I know for a fact that one time they took him to counseling because they didn't understand why he seemingly tries so hard to be the opposite of mean.

"They all think that you are gay and use that against you," said Jessie. "Hmm…that's rough. I can't think of a quick way out of that one."

"Neither can I, especially since I am gay…I think. Well, I am actually almost sure, but I do get confused a lot…a suppose it doesn't help that I used to tell people all the time that I was gay before I knew that people wouldn't like me because of it…it's weird how they all forget their homework on a regular basis but still remember the day I finally admitted it…"

Jay told me that he doesn't remember much of the car ride. He said that mostly they threw all these affirmative phrases at him, shit like 'you are better than them' and 'real friends don't care about those things'. And they bought him candy. When they got home, they talked more.

"It sounds like you are very secretive around your friends…friends like Soledad, June, and Takeshi. I know you probably tell Amber everything, but maybe you'd be able to relax more if you didn't feel like you had to cover yourself up around them," James told him.

"People keep saying that, but I don't know…they might turn on me and add to my list of bullies."

"Or they can make you feel better. They might already have a feeling… you did just live as a girl for three and a half weeks," said Jessie. "And there was that time you tried to become Takeshi's boyfriend…"

"That was one time!" Jay argued, blushing as he recalled that first-grade memory. "I thought it was normal. I didn't realize that it only felt normal to me."

"No one is going to force you to share your feelings, but it will probably be better if you come out to your friends before they hear it from someone else," James reasoned. "Or maybe not 'come out', since you think you're confused by the whole matter…oh, Jay, you are so young. Why are you thinking of all this stuff already?"

"Because he doesn't play sports and he needs something on which to fixate," Jessie answered.

"I guess that makes sense," Jay responded. "I will talk to Amb. She will know what to do."

 **XO**

Notes:

\+ I almost forgot…Happy New Year Everyone!

\+ The cheese continues in chapter three which will be up later today.

+Thanks to Julie Togepi and Chipotlepeppers for your reviews:)


	3. Confessions

**Welcome!**

 **Author Notes:**

All canon characters and places mentioned belong to The Pokémon Company. All the OCs in here belong to chipotlepeppers. Visit chipotlepeppers' profile for more stories like this one and for background info on these OCs. I also might write more fanfictions in the future, but now (December 31, 2017) I only have four other stories posted, this one, **All I Want for Christmas is You** **,** **Cruise Blues** , **Playground Crisis** , and **Z-Charged**. You do not need to read all these stories to understand context, though if you want more context, I suggest checking out **All I Want for Christmas is You** since that fic is the most explanatory.

I am a new fic writer and nonprofessional so please be kind.

This symbol "~" I use the same way writer WindStar27 uses it—to draw out a voice. So instead of writing 'Pikachuuu', I'll put 'Pikachu~'.

If something doesn't make sense or you have questions, leave questions in reviews and I will answer them via guest review asap. Or you can PM me if you have an account.

This fic will be dived into four chapters that are between 3,000-4,000 words each. This story will be about 14,000 words TOTAL.

I would like to get some feedback, so even if you don't like it, leave a review if you have the spare seconds. Remember to word them kindly, especially if you are responding to someone else's review.

 ***IMPORTANT: Italicized text presents the present and regularly formatted text presents the retelling***

Thank you for clicking!

 **XO**

* * *

Jaylie's Future

 **Story Description:** A short story about one of Jay Morgan's many existential crises and a prediction of Jay and Amber's future together.

Glossary of Peeps and Places:

Nolan and Lexi -Annastasia's closest friends and neighbors in Pallet Town.

Tamaki – the son of Richie and Sakura Moto. She is a year older than most of Jay and Amber's friends and less familiar to Jay compared to the others.

Linette\- Linette is somewhere between the ages of three and four. She is living with Amber after A's request—long story, not directly relevant to this particular fic.

Harper-Jay's six-year-old nephew. His entry into this fic seems random at first, but it comes together I promise.

Spectrum\- in short, it's a shelter for runaway LGBTQ kids. It was made-up by chipotlepeppers but is based on a real place.

 **XO**

 _It's late and I just got home. Jay's asleep on the couch. I hear someone in the kitchen. Logan comes trotting out with a platter of sandwiches in his mouth. He sticks the plate on the coffee table and then turns to speak to me._

 _"_ _I made half of these. You're welcome," the Liepard said before helping himself to a tuna sub._

 _"_ _Who made the other half?" I asked as I picked out my own._

 _"_ _Jay…then he fell asleep. You know how cooking bores him…but he wanted to do you a favor for doing him a favor. I don't know why he thinks you deserve favors…"_

 _"_ _It's because he loves me. I don't see why he wouldn't come into my house and randomly make a platter of food."_

 _"_ _That wasn't why he came in the first place…he wanted to play with your kid, but she's upstairs sleeping with Jezz."_

 _"_ _She's not my kid so stop saying that. She is going to The Grange as soon as those other tenants move out…we aren't going to adopt her. I don't think we'd even be allowed…we are not qualified at all. I don't want to pretend that she will be here forever when she can be gone tomorrow."_

 _"_ _We'll see about that. Jezz revamped Kanto's foster system, and A owns half this region…Even though we are basically poor now, I bet you can do whatever you want."_

 _"_ _She doesn't own…just stop. I'm not in the mood for you."_

 _"_ _I love you too," Logan grumbled before downing another sub._

 _Jay woke up and I rubbed his shoulders before he even spoke because he gets sore from squeezing his 6'2" frame onto our crappy red-velvet couch._

 _"_ _I am surprised you are not upstairs snuggling with Jezz," I remarked as Jay rubbed his sleepy eyes._

 _"_ _I planned to sleep for ten minutes, but instead spent over an hour," Jay yawned as he looked at his watch. "I was also hoping to finish making lunch…sorry."_

 _"_ _It's fine. You aren't the hired help. Unless you want to be…JK we totally don't have the money"_

 _"_ _I like my real job, but I'll consider the offer," he yawned. "I am going to go home."_

 _"_ _You aren't going to eat with us?"_

 _"_ _Nah., I heard eggplant parmigiana is on the menu at my place…you can come if you want."_

 _"_ _I'll stay here."_

 _"_ _Really?"_

 _"_ _No way, I'm going with you."_

 **XO**

The day after Jaylie went back to being Jay, he and I skipped school in order to go to the orchard near my house. Early into our fruit-hunting adventure, we found ourselves free of parents with no one else around…Pip and Togepi were there, but they know better than to tell others about our secret conversations.

I recall putting my bow on a rock and asking Jay if he wanted to talk about the doctor appointment.

"Yeah, I don't mind," he decided as I sat down next to me.

"I bet she said you were normal," I replied.

"She did."

"So, no more 'Jaylie'?"

"For now. I don't know. It seems like I am the only one with these issues…did you ever want to stop being a girl?"

"I never thought about it before. It would be cool I guess to try it out…but you are braver than me."

"How?"

"I think what you did was a big deal. I wouldn't do it, and part of me wanted to convince you to not do it because I was worried."

"It went well though…minus the fact that I am almost one-hundred percent sure that I am not a girl. I guess it was all a waste."

"Are you glad you did it?"

"Yeah."

"Then it wasn't a waste."

"Hm. I guesso."

"I didn't say this before, but being a girl sucks sometimes. People expect you to look nice, to not spit in public, to comb your hair, to wear a dress. And when I get older, I might have a baby. That sounds really painful. Men don't ever have to do any work."

"Yeah…but I like all the stuff you just said except for the baby thing."

"I told you that you are weird. Maybe when we go on our first Pokémon journey together, we can meet more weird kids."

"I hope that happens. As long as they are not weird and mean at the same time. Or mean at all."

"Agreed. What else are you thinking about? You told me you talked to your parents."

"My parents said that I should probably tell our other friends that I am gay, before they hear all the rumors that are exaggerations and stuff."

"You already told Takeshi…indirectly making it really clear."

"I am hoping he forgot about that."

"Soledad probably knows. She is your next-door neighbor and you literally see her every day. If she knows, then she probably also told June, since they are close friends. And June probably told Takeshi, since she's got a crush on him. And Takeshi probably told Tamaki, because he's his only normal guy friend, and Lily and Logan probably told all the adults already, and A probably told Nolan and Lexi, if they didn't figure it out on their own."

"I guesso. Amb, why do I have to be the weird one?"

"Everyone needs to have at least one weird friend. Your weird friend can be me, and my weird friend can be you. That's why you are the weird one; we were made for each other."

"That makes sense."

"Can I go back to shooting my arrows at fruit now?"

"Yeah, totally. I want to watch!"

We had fun the rest of the day and the rest of the week. We went to the water park—and I did my best to not get mad at him when he refused to go on any of the big slides. We also went to Dave and Buster's, and two days it rained so we went to do laser tag and the movies. Rumika took us to the aquarium, where we got to see real fish—not just Pokémon. It was so cool. We saw a flounder for the first time in our lives. Jay took a lot of pictures.

Jay switched schools again after he went back and nothing changed on the bullying front. There still wasn't room for him in my enormous public school on the other side of the Viridian forest, and there was no way my parents were paying for that private school Jay ended up in for his final year of studies—minus all the tutoring he needed after we left for our first Pokémon journey through Kanto.

He stopped wearing girl clothes to school as a way of starting fresh. More blue and black, less pink. He didn't talk about Jaylie ever again, so I didn't either.

Then about two and a half months after that existential crisis, he was in my room, sobbing once more. I understood at least half of what he said, not because he was making sense, but because I was used to it.

"…and decided that I am going to tell our other friends that I am gay," was literally the only clear sentence.

"Why are you crying about it?" I asked, genuinely not understanding the purpose for the tears.

"I think Soledad is the only one who will be nice about it. Takeshi will probably ignore me for now on, worried that I will creep on him or something."

"All Takeshi thinks about is your big sister. He's too busy being in love-love with her to even hear what you say sometimes."

"Yeah…I just think that sometimes…you know…"

"June will be nice. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body."

"I don't know her that well…your parents are better friends with Iris and Cilan than my parents are…they think Cilan is weird, which is true sometimes I guess…"

"Do you need a wing-girl?"

"I don't know what that is."

"I'll prep them. I think I know what I can say. Then we can talk about it, then you can say what you need to say."

"Okay. I'll do it."

 **XO**

I acted as Jay's wing-girl the night of his family's annual New Year's Eve party, aka the day before his tenth birthday. Jay decided that this would be a perfect time, figuring that no one would be mean to him the day before his birthday.

Jay, June Gaulle, Soledad Oak, Takeshi Harrison, Tamaki Moto, and I were playing poker in my basement with Annastasia and her three closest friends Nolan, Lexi, and Rita. I told A my plan, but no one else other than me, Pip, Jay, and Togekiss knew. We waited until we were almost finished the game, and Lexi and Nolan got up to get us sodas (after A thankfully asked them to) but Rita was still there, which made Jay nervous. We didn't know her well yet, but A had told us that she is chill and knows a lot of gay kids…for reasons I didn't understand at the time.

June and Soledad had already asked Jay if I was okay twice, but Takeshi brought it up again.

"Jay, you look kinda upset for someone who turns double-digits in three hours," he started.

"I can tell when there is something wrong. I've known you for a long time," said Soledad. "Tell us, we won't bite."

"I don't like how your mind seems far away," June said as she touched Jay's hand. "You always acted so cheerfully in the past. Are you upset about growing up?"

"No, I am upset because I want to tell you something, but I am not sure how to say it. I feel like it's stupid," Jay replied.

"It's not stupid," Annastasia said as she looked to all the other kids.

"Jay is really stressed out. He gets made fun of a lot at school, and lately things have been harder than usual," I told them.

"That is so sad," said June. "I wish my school was closer to yours. I would never be mean to you."

"I know you get bullied and I feel bad that I could never help," said Soledad. "I thought things were getting better—not worst. Does this have to do with Jaylie?"

"Not particularly," Jay murmured.

"Kids are still bullying you, after all this time? Dude, I thought that was like, a one-time thing," said Tamaki.

"It still happens," Jay quietly replied.

"We are all your friends. Maybe we should all hang out together more often," Takeshi suggested. "Our dads are best friends."

"I know," Jay gulped.

"Jay gets nervous and stressed sometimes because he thinks that you all will treat him like the kids at school do," Annastasia told the group.

"The kids at school either beat him, mock him, or ignore him," I said. "Jay wants you to have open minds…A and I told him that you do."

"We do," said June.

The others repeated her words. Jay trembled a bit and eyed Rita. Of all A's friends, Rita is the most elusive. She isn't a neighbor, but a co-worker, and she didn't spend much time with our friend group or Jay's family until Jezz came along, and that wouldn't be for another fourteen months. She is only one who didn't say anything. She doesn't look like the judgmental type, and A told us she wasn't, and she never made fun of him before, but Jay was still timid around her for some reason. I suppose it was her mysteriousness that threw him off. I took one of his hands in mine and gave it a firm squeeze. I then cupped my hands around Jay's ear and leaned in to whisper:

"Just say what is on your mind. I already told them that you had an important announcement. They are ready."

"People make fun of me because I am gay," Jay blurted. "Um, please don't get mad."

"I am mad. People shouldn't make fun of you for any reason, especially over something that you can't control," Soledad responded matter-of-factly.

"I am confused," Tamaki admitted.

"What did you do to make us mad?" Takeshi asked.

"I agree with Soledad," said June, ignoring Takeshi for the first time in forever. "I too am upset that people are mean to you."

"Still confused…" said Tamaki.

"He's coming out to you ya morons," Logan told everyone as he and Lily entered the scene.

"That makes you and I Fearrow of a feather," Tamaki said as he wrapped an arm around Jay's shoulder. "I am gay too…except for Rita and those hot girls they put on the covers of magazines."

I internally gagged while Rita made a grossed-out face. Takeshi's obsession with Annastasia is milder than Tamaki's apparent obsession with Rita. At least they both eventually grew out of it.

"I was worried that everyone here would make fun of me too," said Jay.

"If I am going to make fun of you, it's going to be about your stupid hair," Soledad remarked. "Not because you like boys."

"Ha-ha, same," Tamaki laughed.

"You should dye it blue so that it matches your eyes," Soledad suggested.

"Your hair is cute," June said as she gently elbowed Soledad. "I like that color on you. You should feel good about whatever you are. Gay, naturally purple—whatever."

"I am totally relieved now," Jay breathed as I gave him the rest of my water. "You all are the best."

"We know," Logan and Lily said together.

Takeshi nodded then breathed in sharply as he recalled a memory.

"So, that one time when you…you know, were flirting with me…"

"Ummmm Takeshi, ummm you're not my type," Jay said as he turned beet-red. "I ummm I was young and stupid back then…I-I am totally not into you anymore—ever—I am not creepy I promise!"

"It's okay," Takeshi told him. "Though I am somewhat offended that I am not your 'type'."

"Uhh."

"He's joking," I told Jay.

"This means a lot to me you guys," Jay said as he began to dramatically choke up.

"There, there, Jay, it's alright," Annastasia told Jay in that mom's voice she sometimes uses.

"You got it off your chest, and the world didn't fall apart," I remarked. "Not so bad. Another existential crisis beat down."

Nolan and Lexi came back and witnessed Jay's sniffling. June explained what happened and they seemed to understand. Later, Annastasia wanted to talk to me and Jay alone, and Rita came along.

"Do you remember that place called Spectrum we used to go and hang out at sometimes?" A asked us.

"Yes," said Jay.

"I never went before," I reminded them.

Annastasia explained the details of that place. I had no idea at the time, but once upon a time it was the home of Jezz.

"You know I work there, right?" Rita asked Jay. "I'm a volunteer mentor. Whenever I am not doing something fun or for Team Rocket, I am there."

"Umm okay…" said Jay.

"Many of the kids there are also gay, and so they can understand some of what you are feeling," said Rita. "They aren't mean; I have met a lot of nice kids there over the last few years. And I think it's time for a re-visit."

"The only reason I didn't want to take you there more often is because most of the kids are only there for a month or two, then they get adopted or fostered by a family that accepts them. Many of those families live far away. I didn't want you to get attached to someone only to have them leave you," A explained. "But, if you need someone to talk to other than family members, Dr. Liz, and Amber, there are other people available, and you should know that."

"I'll think about it," Jay decided.

"Awesome, now go have fun," Annastasia demanded. "You are going to be a ten-year-old soon; your life is just getting started."

"Thanks for helping me. I owe you," Jay said as he bowed to Rita and A.

"You keep making my green tea every morning, and we'll call it even," Annastasia responded.

"And you can make my night by cheering up," said Rita.

Jay looked to me, those brilliant eyes beaming. In that moment, I recall thinking that there could never be a more perfect human. Jay, Jaylie, or perhaps some other identity in the future, I don't care. Those eyes will always be the same…even with the color contacts.

 **XO**

 _Last night I slept with Jay on the pullout couch in our crowded living room. Halfway through the night, a third person joined us, the Little Bird who is obsessed with my family. She sang in her squeaky three-year-old voice until we both acknowledged her. As usual, Jay skipped right to the squeezing her and telling her how cute she is._

 _"_ _Amb, don't you want her forever? She even looks like you!" Jay said as he nearly choked the child. "And Linette Ketchum is a name that flows."_

 _"_ _So, does Linette Morgan, or literally any other family name…" I tried, thinking of alternative adoptees._

 _"_ _No, not true."_

 _"_ _Why would I want a child when I already have you and Logan?"_

 _"_ _Because…"_

 _Linette climbed onto my shoulders and started playing with my knotted tresses. I was like that once, climbing all over people and tugging at their hair. Jay scooped up Linette and carried her to the kitchen. He strapped her down in the booster seat he bought her and gave her water and formula. She wouldn't drink until I sat next to her._

 _"_ _I feel like we are in the best part of our lives so far," Jay said as he handed Linette a bowl of cereal, which she began eating ravenously with her hands. "The perfect comma. The perfect opportunity…the best—"_

 _Someone began pounding on our door. This is not unusual for 10:00 am in this house. It was Harper. He barged right in and took the other seat next to Linette. Linette began telling Harper about her morning, but he stared at her blankly then looked to me and Jay for help._

 _"_ _She's too young to understand that you can't hear," Jay signed. "But you've done a good job teaching her so far."_

 _Linette knows six words in JSL: her name, Harper's name, my name, Jay's name, Jezz's name, and 'hello'. Normally something like this would piss Harper off—little shit has an attitude—but he has a soft spot for Linette. Jay ships them._

 _"_ _Why are you here?" I asked Harper._

 _"_ _For her," he answered, making Jay smile with excitement. "And because Jay needs to do my hair."_

 _There is nothing Jay seems to like more than having people come to him for help on how to look 'nice'. Harper's a fashionista just like him—calls himself 'half-girl', which makes Jay very proud. Jay ran to his bag and pulled out accessories, scissors, and a teasing comb while Harper ate some of Jezz's pears._

 _"_ _I was so much like you when I was younger," Jay said aloud, then paused. "Amb, translate for me so that I can do Harper's hair and have a convo at the same time."_

 _"_ _It's not like I have anything better to do," I said as I stood across from Harper._

 _"_ _You were like me? Oh god," Harper signed after I repeated Jay's message._

 _"_ _That's a good thing," Jay said defensively. "I looooved getting my hair done up. Your mom used to do it for me when I was really little, then when I got a bit older, I got to do her makeup and hair."_

 _"_ _It's because Jay is a half-girl too," I told Harper._

 _"_ _I don't think I am like Jay. Jay is too nice," Harper responded. "And he is too emotional."_

 _"_ _Was that a compliment?" Jay asked._

 _"_ _Not really," Harper responded. "And I don't want to marry another boy and own a salon when I grow up. I want to be a Trial Captain on Mai Island. I want to be president of that whole place."_

 _"_ _Mai Island is part of Alola, and so there is no president," I pointed out. "Jezz runs that one island…but he's not a president. Sorry to ruin your life."_

 _"_ _Everything will change when I grow up," Harper retorted. "I bet the Kapule Klan will rise again, but next time it won't be an evil gang. That's because I will be in charge."_

 _I continued to translate words for Linette and Jay as they threw various messages at Harper and he answered back in that confident, snarky, and idealistic manner of his. I didn't realize the time until almost too long had passed. I have a meeting and Jay's entry to finish up._

 _"_ _I've been working on that Jaylie story. I bet you should tell Harper about it…leave out all the times you cried though," I told Jay._

 _"_ _What is 'Jaylie'?" Harper queried._

 _"_ _Jay's alter ego. She only appears in drag and Jay's childhood," I answered._

 _"_ _Cool. I want you to tell me more," said Harper._

 _Jay had no comment as he did the last of Harper's cornrows. Harper kept asking questions until Jay gave in. I left to get ready for my meeting, leaving the boys to Jay's past._

 **XO**

Notes:

\+ I edited chapter one by adding some more context. If you were a bit confused by it I recommend re-reading it. If you are still confused, let me know.

\+ Thanks everyone for your lovely reviews.

\+ One more chapter to go: the conclusion. I will put it up ASAP.


	4. Conclusion

**Welcome!**

 **Author Notes:**

All canon characters and places mentioned belong to The Pokémon Company. All the OCs in here belong to chipotlepeppers. Visit chipotlepeppers' profile for more stories like this one and for background info on these OCs. I also might write more fanfictions in the future, but now (December 31, 2017) I only have four other stories posted, this one, **All I Want for Christmas is You** **,** **Cruise Blues** , **Playground Crisis** , and **Z-Charged**. You do not need to read all these stories to understand context, though if you want more context, I suggest checking out **All I Want for Christmas is You** since that fic is the most explanatory.

I am a new fic writer and nonprofessional so please be kind.

This symbol "~" I use the same way writer WindStar27 uses it—to draw out a voice. So instead of writing 'Pikachuuu', I'll put 'Pikachu~'.

If something doesn't make sense or you have questions, leave questions in reviews and I will answer them via guest review asap. Or you can PM me if you have an account.

This fic will be dived into four chapters that are between 3,000-4,000 words each. This story will be about 14,000 words TOTAL.

I would like to get some feedback, so even if you don't like it, leave a review if you have the spare seconds. Remember to word them kindly, especially if you are responding to someone else's review.

 ***IMPORTANT: Italicized text presents the present and regularly formatted text presents the retelling***

Thank you for clicking!

 **XO**

* * *

Jaylie's Future

 **Story Description:** A short story about one of Jay Morgan's many existential crises and a prediction of Jay and Amber's future together.

 **XO**

 _Tears escaped Jay's eyes and landed in front of the keyboard to my laptop. He smiled. I took a tissue and wiped under his eyes, gently so that I didn't smear his mascara or eyeliner._

 _"_ _I don't understand how anyone can call me perfect," Jay murmured, almost inaudibly. "I overreact, cry, lose confidence, stutter, mumble, suck at making friends—"_

 _"_ _Shh. None of that is important," I told him. "Look at where you are now. Those blips of time in school, on the playground and in the halls, didn't ruin you because you braved it all."_

 _Pip brought Jay more tissues then rubbed his cheek against Jay, which is a foolproof way to make Jay giggle. Togekiss use his Heal Bell to even out some of Jay's intense emotions. I squeezed his hand and leaned into him, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek._

 _Linette came up to us and crawled into the small crevice between me and Jay. Jay petted the top of her head while she played with his glasses._

 _"_ _You are crying," she told Jay. "Are you sad?"_

 _"_ _No, I'm happy," he responded. "I was looking back at some memories. I'll tell you all about it one day."_

 _"_ _Soon?" Linette asked._

 _"_ _Yeah, soon," he promised._

 **XO**

Jay's birthday party two days after the drama fest was his best party so far. His parents got a bouncy house, fortune teller, magician, over fifty-yard games, and our favorite food trucks. June, Soledad, Takeshi, Tamaki, Annastasia and Jocelyn's friends, and everyone's parents and siblings came. It was crowded, and after about an hour, he and I snuck away from the festivities and hid behind the fortune teller tent so that we could talk.

"Did you go to this yet?" Jay asked as he pointed to the attraction's sign.

"Yeah. I went while you were peeing," I told him.

"Oh. I was hoping we could go together," he replied.

"We can," I said as I linked arms with him. "I don't mind hearing my fortune again."

"You're the best friend a boy-girl fusion could ask for."

We entered the tent. A woman in a fancy gown and two Ditto sat in a fake-gold chair behind a tacky crystal ball. We walked up to her together. I could sense Jay's nervousness.

"I am Heleni," the woman began. "Ms. Ketchum, you've returned."

"Duh. Is that against the rules?" I asked.

"No," she said as she stared at Jay. "You are the MVP of this festival…ten years old as of the first of January. Congratulations."

"Thank you Miss Heleni," Jay bowed. "Can you…may you read my fortune?"

"Certainly. Give me your palm and close your eyes. Keep them closed until I am finished reading your fortune," she instructed.

The lady studied his palm with care. Jay kept his eyes sealed tightly, whereas I had peeked during my turn earlier that day.

"You are a lovely child," she commented. "You help your parents around the home, you don't argue with others, you respect your elders, get along with your siblings, have a good sense of empathy…very good. This is rare for children your age."

"Thanks," Jay said hesitantly, unsure if his response made sense.

"You are an introvert at heart but become an extrovert when you are in your element," she said.

"So true," Jay agreed.

"You are artistic. You like creating something out of nothing and sharing it with the people you care about," she continued.

"That is totally Jay," I replied.

Jay smiled, and though his eyes were still shut, he was facing me, trembling with excitement.

"However, like the rest of us, you have some flaws," she continued. "You do not take criticism well. When someone judges you, you retreat. It can take you a long time to recover."

"That happens to me a lot," said Jay. "Can you predict my future too?"

"I am getting there," she responded. "Now, what is it you would like to know?"

"Will I get married?"

"Yes."

"Really!? To who!?"

"I won't say, but you'll find a partner, I promise."

"Wow. I am feeling good now…can you at least tell me what he looks like? Is he tall?"

"About your height."

"What does he look like?"

"Attractive."

"Yesss. Can you please tell me who he is?"

"Nope."

I sniggered. I didn't think this lady was for real. My mom had told me about people like her. They are skilled bullshitters, good at reading people, and have years of practice…that doesn't make them real psychics…yet no one knows for sure if they are true. But things change. Since I've grown up, I've learned to take psychics seriously—even though I don't always admit it.

"I can tell you this," said Heleni. "If you remember to be yourself and stay honest, optimistic, and kind, then one day you will have many close friends. One of those friends is going to be someone who needs you in their life in order to live."

"Is that Amb?" Jay quizzed.

"I am already your friend," I said. "Heleni is talking about someone else, someone you haven't met yet."

"I am," she nodded.

"Wow," Jay sighed in amazement. "What else can I know?"

"Stay away from marijuana if you can…you react badly to that…and drink water before consuming alcohol," said Heleni.

"Are you saying that Jay becomes a partier?" I asked, excited by the possibility.

"Perhaps. It's a precaution nonetheless," she answered. "Jay, it's important that you protect yourself because there are some things in life that Amber cannot help you with. I can sense times ahead when you are tried. People in your life will be hurt, you will be hurt, but you will experience more times than bad times. Overall, you will have a wonderful life. Remember to keep your guard up though."

"I will," Jay promised.

"You may open your eyes now."

Jay and I locked eyes. I wondered what all that business about me not being around to help Jay. I told myself that she must be thinking of small things…like I can't help it if he gets the flu or flunks out of beauty school.

"Would you like a second turn?" Heleni asked me.

"Yeah," I replied. "Will my fortune be different now than it was when you check it the first time?"

"Of course not all will be the same."

"K, whatev."

I didn't linger on that thought. Instead, I gave her my hand and closed my eyes. This time I didn't peek. I wonder if this is the reason my fortune made more sense the second time around.

"There is much to say about you," Heleni started. "You and Jay have much in common."

Neither Jay nor I saw that comment coming. As far as I knew, Jay and I are opposites. Boy and girl, soft and rough, rich and poor, uncoordinated and highly coordinated, submissive and stubborn, artistic and sporty, introverted and extroverted.

"You are both highly ambitious," Heleni clarified. "Dreamers, dreamers with confidence and ability. You have a unique sense of maturity to you, you are nonconformist, you have a love of Pokémon and friendship. You value truth and loyalty."

"Totally accurate," said Jay, voicing my own opinion.

"Amber, you in particular will have an adventurous life. I see many competitions and awards, several career changes, multiple partners, new friendships, and a large family network."

"A large family? Does that mean I give birth to someone? Because that's gross," I replied.

"Not necessarily. I said 'family network'. You may take that any way you feel is appropriate."

At the time I was too confused to comment, but now I know exactly what she means. Jay is family, Jay's boyfriend is family, Jezz, Logan, Harper, Linette, Annastasia, all our Pokémon and all of Team Rocket are family. I had also wondered about the multiple partner comment…also unfortunately true. At the time I thought she was implying that I would cheat on someone, but I never did. I guess she was just referring to my stupid teenage mistakes.

"My advice for you is to make yourself vulnerable," said Heleni.

"That's the opposite of what you want Jay to do," I noted.

"Yes. You tend to open your heart to Jay, your parents, you friend Annastasia, but you maintain a wall between many other people in your life. You will be happier if you allow others to get to know you. One day you will meet someone who will change your life forever, but only if you allow him to. This is why vulnerability will help you."

"Okay…thanks," I said.

"What else? Will Amb get married too?" Jay asked.

"She will."

"Wow, awesome," said Jay. "Will she and I live in the same house when we grow up?"

"Eventually."

"Wow…how do you know all of this?"

"I was born with psychic abilities."

"I dunno…sounds like you are telling us what we want to hear," I replied.

"Don't you want to hear about the rest of your fortune?" Jay asked me.

"You already said that I will become a Poke-Olympics Archery Champion and hold the title for 'many' years when I walked in here earlier," I told the psychic. "What else do I do?"

"You take a stab at college, help your parents out at the…Cerulean Gym…I believe it is…yes, the one with the water-types…you also become a Frontier Brain…whether that is for long or as a sub for your father I am not sure…you get a prestigious position on the Kanto Pokémon League Board, and I see you being a Trial Captain."

"That's what I call impressive," said Jay. "Not surprised."

I smiled at Jay's compliment, almost forgetting what she had just told me.

"A Trial Captain? Don't those only exist in Alola?" I asked. "I've never even been to Alola, and I don't know what a 'Trial Captain' is."

"I think you have to live there too in order to be a captain," Jay said as he looked to Togekiss for backup.

"To to~" the bird replied.

"You are correct," said Heleni.

"You have to live there in order to be a Trial Captain. Sweet! I think living on an island will be awesome!" Jay said as he put both hands on my shoulders.

"As I said, you will have many career changes and an adventurous life indeed," Heleni responded. "And Jay will be around for it all."

"Great," I murmured, truly meaning it.

Satisfied that she went more in-depth for my reading the second time around, Jay and I left the tent. Jay acted as if he were on top of the world as he linked arms with me and added a soft skip to his stride.

"Hmmm…we should have asked her about Jaylie," I said as I focused in on Jay's eyeshadow.

"I think I am done being a girl…I will miss the girl's bathroom though…you all have more stalls and it's cleaner. I would be able to pee in school without having to ask the nurse to use the gender-neutral bathroom. But there are downsides to being a girl."

"Like what?" I asked, though I already knew some potential answers.

"I can't think of many off the top of my head…actually, I noticed how people were looking at me more. I thought it was because I was new, but the other girls said that the boys watch them all day…even look up their skirts! That alone was enough to make me consider switching back to pants…but I figured I would look too much like a boy if I wore pants to school every day…"

"I don't think you'll ever have to worry about looking too masculine."

"Maybe not, but I'll stick to being only half-girl for now on. I think that will be less work."

"I guess we'll find out in the future."

"Totally…I was thinking…what did your fortune say the first time around?" Jay asked.

"Nothing super special," I answered. "I remember it was a lot like what you just heard, just not as specific. It said that if I stay loyal to my best friend, then I will one day become one of the happiest people in the world."

"Hey, I'm your best friend!"

"I think they were talking about A..."

"Hey! Amb…is that true?"

Jay grimaced, and I seriously think he didn't catch the sarcasm.

"You're my best friend," I assured him. "A is in second. Seriously, Jay, I don't think that I will ever meet someone as bad at sarcasm as you are."

"You never know, Amb. I bet someday will meet someone less awkward than myself," he replied.

"Ya, right."

"Does this mean that you'll never leave me?"

"Probably."

"Even if I marry a movie star?"

"Jay, you aren't going to marry a movie star."

"For all we know it will come true as long as I am nice and stuff."

"Nope."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm always right."

"And if nobody wants to marry me?"

"Then I'll do it."

"Really?"

"Totally."

"Sweet…can we get cotton candy now? I want to get it before A sees me. I know she doesn't like it when I eat a lot of sugar."

"Yeah, I wanna do that too."

Jay slowed to a stop and since he was still holding on to me I halted as well. He hugged me close. I felt a flutter in my chest, and my head warmed up. It's unusual for a nine and ten-year-old to just hug like that—usually our hugs are private, or just around a few people we know well. My mom saw, then looked away, pretending that she didn't see anything.

"Are you okay?" I asked as I freed one hand in order to make a little space between us.

"I'm great. Now that I know the future is bright, I feel invininisble!" said Jay.

"You mean 'invincible'…I think that's how it's pronounced," I responded. "Heleni said that we still have to work to make it true…and everything she told us was vague…"

"That is what will make it fun," Jay reasoned. "There will be some surprises, but best of all, we don't break up."

"Break-up?"

"You know how people have 'ex-friends'? I am sooo happy that you and I don't become ex-friends. I want to be with you forever, not matter what, in sickness and in health, as Jaylie or Jay, as a purple top or…I think blue will look good on me…you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. Ditto, Jay. Happy Tenth Birthday."

"To many more!" Jay exclaimed as he punched the sky.

"Toge!"

"Pika!"

Jay, Togetic, Pip, and I got ice-cream sundaes. I thought about all of Jay's comments. Vague, but the future will be bright, and that is enough for now.

 **XO**

 _"_ _Whoa. That's some good shit," Logan remarked._

 _I felt the Liepard's breath on my neck. I turned to face him and then pushed his mug out of my personal space._

 _"_ _You are cheesy," Logan continued. "That made me want to tear up…"_

 _"_ _Shove it up your ass," I mumbled as I shut my computer._

 _Linette and Harper were sitting right in front of me, Jezz was sleeping on the couch, and Jay was pretending to sleep with Jezz's head on his lap. Pip laughed at me._

 _"_ _I didn't notice people coming in," I said as I got off the couch._

 _Jay opened one eye and then yawned dramatically, attempting to convince me that he had actually fallen asleep, implying that Jezz had fallen asleep on him and that it wasn't Jay being the weird cousin he is and making it look like Jezz is also in love-love with him._

 _"_ _What you say Berr?" Linette asked as she looked to Logan._

 _"_ _She was mean to me," Logan told the little girl._

 _"_ _No, not Berr," she said as she shook her head._

 _"_ _Awe! I love how she calls you 'Berr!" Jay squealed as he tickled the toddler._

 _I love Linette to bits, but I don't show it much around Jay and Logan because I don't want them to realize how attached I am. I don't have a very good reason for this, but I suppose it has to do with the fact that soon she may no longer be sharing the crowded cottage with me, Logan, Peruva, and Jezz shoved inside and Jay and his SO right around the corner. But everyone around me thinks she will stay with us and that she is part of the 'family network' Heleni forewarned._

 _Meanwhile, Harper is pissed off that Jay is smothering his girlfriend. He pushed Jay away from her. Logan and I giggled when Jay nearly fell over._

 _"_ _You were getting between Harper and his woman," I said as he, Logan, and I went to the kitchen for food, leaving the sleeping magenta-boy and two children unattended._

 _"_ _I suppose Harper isn't gay," Jay sighed. "I thought that…you know. I've always shipped them…but almost everything Harper wears is pink and black…which is kinda gay…"_

 _"_ _Your boyfriend hasn't worn pink a day in his life," Logan pointed out._

 _"_ _Yeah…"_

 _"_ _He does think he's part girl," I reminded them. "And I don't think that has a different meaning in sign language. He's a little kid…don't be a creep."_

 _"_ _There is nothing creepy about young love," Jay asserted._

 _"_ _It is when you ship an about four-year-old and an almost seven-year-old," Logan mumbled._

 _"_ _I agree with the blue boy," I said, referencing the Liepard's dyed fur._

 _"_ _Three years apart! Come on…everything is possible," Jay said defensively. "Plenty of married people differ in age."_

 _"_ _Let's take them to a psychic," Logan suggested, his green eyes narrowing in on mine. "Amb, you and Jay got some pretty good advice all those years back…"_

 _"_ _That…Logan, it's weird for us to agree twice on the same day, but you're right. Harper loves psychics and weird stuff like that…let's take him to one," I responded._

 _"_ _I wonder where Heleni is nowadays…hey…Heleni…isn't that the other woman…?" Logan asked. "The one…you know, Helena…that weird lady we meet up with every once in a while."_

 _"_ _Heleni, the psychic from my tenth birthday party?" Jay asked. "And Helena, from the Aubergine Gym?"_

 _"_ _Yeah," I replied._

 _"_ _When I think about it, they do look a lot alike…but that was years ago…hey, I bet Helena and Heleni are sisters," said Jay._

 _"_ _They are probably the same person," I retorted._

 _"_ _Helena made some good predictions even though she claims she is only half-psychic," said Jay. "And almost everything Heleni said came true…except for some things, but there is still time for it all to happen."_

 _Jay's eyes were beaming, those eyes that always look to me. Whether they are covered by eyeliner, mascara, or eyeshadow, hidden beneath colored-contact lenses, a pair of glasses, or a combination of any or all of those things, I always see the same boy…or girl…within. I can't say 'no' to such beautiful eyes._

 _"I bet you are right, my friend. L_ _et's go see what the future holds. I bet we can find Heleni out there somewhere. We can get our fortunes redone while we are at it," I suggested._

 _"_ _Yesss! I am glad you're on board. It would be no fun going without you," said Jay._

 _There was a crash and then Harper's distinctive laughter from the other room. We rushed inside. Jezz had woken up to the sound of the window being smashed. He grabbed Harper's hand before he ran out the door._

 _"_ _Harper!" I yelled._

 _Harper smirked. He knows that I yelled at him even though he's deaf…he's used to it…always getting scolded for misbehaving._

 _"_ _Yeah, we'll take him to the psychic alright," I signed before picking up my cell phone. "But first I'm calling A to let her know that her little princess broke another window."_

 _"_ _Linette didn't do anything!" Jay said defensively as he lifted her onto his hip. "Right, princess?"_

 _Linette looked unsure about that. I pointed out that I was talking about the other little princess, the six-year-old Alonian half-girl clad in pink from his toes to the tip of his ponytail._

 _"_ _Good, that is what I wanted," Harper responded._

 _I sighed. The large family network, the job, the marriage…it all came true. And soon we'll all be united under the same roof…making Jay's childhood dream complete._

 _If only I could have told Jaylie back then…_

 **XO**

Notes:

\+ I hope you enjoyed this fic. I am purposely leaving much of the vague references up for interpretation, those if you follow the hints, you should get a good idea of what does and doesn't happen.

\+ This was very largely inspired by The Journal: I am Jezz by chipotlepeppers. Everything I wasn't clear on…Jay's 'SO'/'boyfriend', Linette's origins, Helena, Spectrum, will be part of the larger fic I am working on.

\+ My plans for next short fic are undecided, but some details about the longer story I am working on are listed on my profile page.

\+ Happy New Year!


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